Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-12-22
AFTER TWENTY YEARS,
But Not a Rip Van Wrinkle Story
Several Interesting News
Items of the Twentieth
Century.

Mexico has always been a pros
porous town-one of substantial,
steady growth, and has promised
much. Never in her history has a
backward step been taken, and SO
long as she is peopled by the same
Industrious, energetic, enterprising
citizens as now, there never will
be. With the excellent prospect
we now have for two new railroads
it is reasonable to suppose that our
prosperity will now be greater than
ever. The following paragraphs
will doubtless appear in the news
columns of the DAILY LEDGER in
twenty years from now, as a result
of this healthy state of affairs:
Ferris, new Grand Opera House,
Just completed in the heart of the
city at the corner of Liberty and
Jefferson streets, is the finest thea
tire in the West. Old inhabitants
who love to allow their thoughts to
drift backward a'score ofyears, enjoy
telling how Mr.. Ferris father, G.
D., built the second theatre Mexico
ever had, in the rear of the LEDGER
building, and how it was opened in
such grand style in the summer of
1888. The old gentleman is now
well up in years, and it is with
pleasant feelings that he allows his
mind to wander back to the time he
built the house mentioned, which,
though grand for the time, is laid
far in the shade by the palatial pile
just completed by his son, Mr.. G.
Leslie Ferris.
While at work on the foundation
ofthe new Masonic Temple, at the
corner of Western avenue and
Jackson street last night, the work,
men came across, at a depth OF
twenty feet, a hole some eight
inches in diameter. A line was let
down, which did not stop until
about sixteen hundred feet had
gone down the mysterious opening
When brought up. the weight at
taehed smelled strongly of the
natural gas we are using so much o.
now. Old settlers say this hole /:
not natural, as was first supposed
but the result of prospecting done
by a company in 1887. Watel
stands in the well within a few fee
of the surface.
Prof. D. A. Mcmillan, who, TO
twenty-five years has the abb
superintendent of our magniicen
public school system, has resigned
He has often threatened such
step before, but the idea has al
ways been hooted at. Prof. Nc
MILAN will now enjoy his well
earned rest.
The old bridge, which was bull
in 1887, has been condemned a
unsafe, and new steel bridge viii
be erected at once. The Jefferson
street, Olive street and Western
avenue bridges are all comparative
lynew, and will not need replacin,
for several years yet.
Passengers rode to the Zoologiea
garden and fair grounds ~yesterda.
for the first time over the ne,
electric line. Trains over this roa'
can be had every ten minutes, an
it promises to become the popula
route for the several places of in
terest in the vicinity of the Water
works.
The old City Hall, built early i
the eighties of the last century, j
being razed, and the general o.
fees of the Hannibal, Mexico an
Southern railroad will be locate
on that busy corner.
The LEDGER, in this morning
edition, prints in three full column
a Geographic report of the POVERTY
speech made in the capitol at 81
Louis yesterday by Senator Fran
Jesse, of Missouri.
The Government appears to GO
along very well since it bought tn
telegraph lines and railroads. TIL
Democratic party is observing tn
civil service rules in the selectio
of employees for these department.
The LEDGER is now a mornin
paper andis issued every day. LIE
Mitchell White is a. the helm. TIL
old man, "Bob,n has turned Gran
and thinks he is cunning fc
book-agents.
We are sorry to chronicle tn
death of our friend A. G. Arm
strong. Alb. was as good a hearte
man as we ever met, but he woul
throw his money away. He use
often to saysswe can only live once
SO what is the use of boarding u
money for some n else to spen
after we are dead
The Jefferson street and Monro
street cars collided at the junctioi
opposite Harper e. Turner'S store
A colored man named Wick-wacI
had his cheek cut. 1t was a har'
hit.
The Mexico Salamander Com
pany, baking powder, cigar ant
washing-machine factories are al
crowded with orders as are all GU
other factories.